'One of the all-time great vintages for this château...surpasses all three of Pauillac's first growths in 1989' WK
Frankly, there is nothing more that you could wish from a Pauillac that is audacious and utterly charming.
Neal Martin, vinous.com, August 2025
1989 Château Lynch-Bages
£2,050 per 6 bottle case in bond
This is well worth a read, even if I do say so myself! First come, first served.
The 1989 vintage in Bordeaux has enjoyed one of the more remarkable reputational reversals of the modern era. At the time, some observers questioned whether the prolonged heat and drought of the growing season might result in wines lacking the balance and structure required for extended ageing. Nearly four decades later, the opposite appears true. While not every château succeeded, the greatest wines of the vintage have displayed extraordinary longevity, and today the best examples seem less defined by sheer ripeness than by an increasingly vivid expression of site. In recent tastings, I have frequently found the finest 1989s to be more compelling than their celebrated 1990 counterparts, combining the generosity of the vintage with a level of precision and terroir definition that only emerges with time.
Few wines illustrate this phenomenon better than Château Lynch-Bages. The estate has long been regarded as one of Bordeaux's great overachievers. Officially a Fifth Growth in the 1855 Classification, Lynch-Bages has spent much of the last half-century challenging the relevance of that ranking, producing wines that routinely rival far more exalted neighbours. Under the stewardship of the Cazes family since the late 1930s, the estate has become synonymous with a powerful yet remarkably ageworthy style of Pauillac, built around Cabernet Sauvignon grown on some of the appellation's finest gravel terraces. The vineyards occupy an exceptional position on the Bages plateau, where well-drained soils consistently produce wines of concentration, structure and unmistakable Pauillac character.
The 1989 remains one of the towering achievements in the château's history. What makes the wine so fascinating today is not simply its survival but its continued evolution. It isn’t just hanging in there, rather it remains incredibly vibrant. The exuberant fruit that first defined the vintage has gradually ceded centre stage to notes of graphite, cedar, cigar box and crushed stone, while retaining extraordinary depth and freshness. Rather than being diminished by age, the personality of the vineyard appears magnified. It is a wine that demonstrates how great terroirs can absorb extreme conditions and emerge, decades later, with even greater clarity of expression. It possibly signals some hope to a region that is dealing with modern day climatic changes…
Equally noteworthy is the provenance of this parcel. Finding pristine stocks of 1989 Lynch-Bages today is increasingly challenging; securing a parcel of four original six-bottle cases is rarer still. Six-bottle wooden cases are particularly noteworthy because the wine was originally released predominantly in full twelve-bottle formats. The existence of original six-bottle cases usually indicates a later château release. The format itself is highly attractive to collectors, offering greater flexibility than full cases while preserving the confidence and integrity associated with original estate packaging.
1989 Château Lynch-Bages
£2,050 per 6 bottle case in bond
99 points, William Kelley, robertparker.com (February 2022)
One of the all-time great vintages for this château is the 1989 Lynch-Bages, a striking wine that offers up pure and intense aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, spring flowers and hints of cigar wrapper. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's seamless and concentrated, with a rich core of fruit, ripe tannins and a beautifully defined finish. Still an infant at age 32, it surpasses all three of Pauillac's first growths in 1989. Drink 2020-2060
98 points, Neal Martin, vinous.com (July 2023)
The 1989 Lynch-Bages is arguably the pinnacle of a fecund era for the Pauillac estate. The aromatics bowl you over with their intensity and precision, complex and brimming with personality: black fruit laced with graphite and blood orange. It would shade many a First Growth. The palate is medium-bodied with gorgeous, multi-layered black fruit on top of graphite and tobacco with just a faint touch of meat juices towards the entrancing finish. Frankly, there is nothing more that you could wish from a Pauillac that is audacious and utterly charming. Tasted at the château both in bottle and double-magnum formats. Drink 2023-2045
The UK market starts at £2,300 per 6 bottles in bond stretching to £2,500 and beyond, though you will hard pressed to find six bottle cases – every listing is for 12s.
For collectors of mature Bordeaux, opportunities to acquire wines of this calibre with proven provenance become increasingly scarce with every passing year. The 1989 Lynch-Bages stands not only as one of the greatest wines ever produced at the estate, but also as one of the most compelling pieces of evidence against the notion that hot vintages cannot produce wines of profound longevity. Thirty-seven years after harvest, it continues to challenge expectations. Indeed, it may well be entering its most fascinating phase of all.
Simon